Spicy Sausage and Squash Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup long grain white rice
• 1 unpeeled butternut squash, halved and seeded
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup chopped yellow onion
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1 lb sausage
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• dash red pepper flakes
• 1 can creamed corn
• chicken broth
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Pour 1 cup of water into 9x13 baking dish.
Place the butternut squash into the prepared baking dish, cut side down.
Bake in preheated oven until squash is easily pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the rice and remaining 1 cup of water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is fluffy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender and transparent, about 5 minutes. Mix in the sausage and garlic; cook until crumbly and evenly browned. Drain any excess fat. Stir in the cooked rice , chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, and corn.
Scoop out cooked squash and place in a blender or bowl of a food processor. Discard squash peels. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.
Stir squash mixture into the sausage mixture until well blended. Season with pepper, and salt to taste. Stir in the heavy cream. Add chicken broth to desired consistency. Simmer soup over medium heat until heated through, about 15 minutes, but do not boil.  Serve.

Chicken and Gnocchi

Ingredients

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 qt half and half
1-14 oz can chicken broth
1/2 c celery, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c carrots, finely shredded
1 c onion, finely diced
1 c fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley
1 pound potato gnocchi – can buy this in the gourmet section of many supermarkets (or make your own)

Saute the onion and garlic in the butter for 5 minutes.  Add the flour, and mix well.  Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.
Cook gnocchi according to package directions.
Into the butter and flour mixture, add in the carrots, celery, and chicken.  Bring soup to a boil to thicken. Once it boils add the chicken broth and bring to a boil again.  Add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings and serve!

Meatball Subs

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef
• egg
• bread crumbs
• salt and pepper
• jar spaghetti sauce
• sliced cheese (mozzarella or swiss)
• sub rolls

Mix ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, and salt and pepper together in a mixing bowl.  Form into meatballs and place in the crock pot.  Pour a jar of spaghetti sauce over the meatballs and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours.
At dinner time, place meatballs onto a sub roll, spread a spoonful of sauce over meat and place a slice of cheese on top.  Microwave for about 10 seconds to soften the cheese. 

Thanksgiving Casserole

Ingredients

•  1 box stuffing, cooked
• 1-2 cups chicken
• 1 can cream of celery
• 1 can cream of chicken

Cook stuffing and pour into the bottom of an 8x8 pan. 
Boil chicken until there in no pink left.  Shred chicken and spread over stuffing. 
Pour cream of celery and cream of chicken over the top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Roast Kielbasa Dinner

Ingredients

• Olive Oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 lbs red-skinned potatoes, but into bite size pieces
• 4 large onions,diced
• 2 lbs Kielbasa, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 red or green apples, cut into wedges
• Honey

Preheat oven to 425.  In a large, shallow roasting pan, drizzle potatoes and onions with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast 20 minutes.

Drizzle the apples with honey, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Add kielbasa and apples to potatoes and cook for 20 more minutes.

To serve, arrange kielbasa, apples, onions and potatoes on dinner plates and garnish with the pan juices.

Maple Baked Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb.)
• 1/2 cup sliced onions
• 2 red or green cooking apples, sliced
• 1/2 cup maple-flavored or pancake syrup
• 1/3 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray skillet with cooking spray. Heat on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. on each side or until lightly browned on both sides. Remove from heat.

Place onions on top of chicken; surround with apple slices. Mix syrup and dressing; pour over chicken.

 Bake 20 to 25 min. or until chicken is cooked through. Spoon syrup mixture in skillet over chicken just before serving.

Cranberry Chicken

Ingredients

3 to 4 chicken breasts
can of cranberry sauce
1/2 bottle russian salad dressing (I used Dorothy Lynch and it was amazing!)
1 packet dry onion soup mix
about 1/2 cup flour
pepper

In a bowl mix cranberry sauce, russian salad dressing and onion soup mix.

Put flour in a shallow dish or plate and sprinkle with pepper.  Dip chicken in flour and coat both sides.

Place chicken in a greased dish and pour sauce over it.  Bake at 350 for 45 to 50 minutes.